Overview
- The leak, discovered November 26 in the Mollien Wing library, affected Egyptology journals and scientific documentation from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, with no unique heritage artefacts reported as damaged, according to the museum.
- The Louvre says a valve in a long‑shut, obsolete heating and ventilation system was mistakenly opened; the system is slated for replacement starting in September 2026.
- Conservation teams are drying the materials and will send volumes to bookbinders for restoration before returning them to the shelves, with the final tally of damaged items still underway.
- Three unions — CGT, CFDT and Sud — have called a rolling strike from December 15 over staffing, ageing infrastructure and safety concerns, which could disrupt holiday visits if widely observed.
- To help finance upgrades, the museum will raise most non‑EU tickets 45% to €32 from January 14, 2026, while specialist media and union sources dispute the museum’s assessment by alleging some bindings are irreparably damaged and earlier warnings were ignored.